1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a spoke fastening device for a vehicle wheel, such as a wheel for a bicycle, unicycle, tricycle, motorcycle or the like, and more particularly to a spoke fastening device including a structure for being easily installed to or disengaged from the vehicle wheel, and including a weight reduced structure.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Typical spoke fastening devices for mounting a spoke on a wheel rim comprise a spoke fastener including a shank having an anchoring portion and an operating portion, the anchoring portion is formed with resilient arm segments that are angularly spaced apart from each other and forcible radially and inwardly toward a central shank axis for allowing the anchoring portion to engage through a spoke fastening hole in a wheel rim.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,938,962 to Schlanger discloses one of the typical spoke fasteners or vehicle wheel spoke coupling devices or terminations comprising a number of hub flanges or ferrules and connecting elements for coupling or fastening or securing the spokes to the wheel rim, and the hub flanges or ferrules each include a cylindrical collar for engaging through the spoke fastening holes in the wheel rim and for being flared or deformed to create the flared portion and to engage with the wheel rim.
However, the hub flanges or ferrules should be made of deformable metal materials such that the flared portion of the cylindrical collar the hub flanges or ferrules should also be made of deformable metal materials, which will then be engaged with the wheel rim that is also made of metal materials, it will be difficult to form a water tight seal structure between the metal hub flanges or ferrules and the metal wheel rim. In addition, the hub flanges or ferrules include a cylindrical shape that may not be engaged with or rotated or driven by the driving tools.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,434,891 to Tien discloses another typical wheel having a spoke solidly coupling device or spoke positioning pocket and comprising a number of couplers and fasteners and lock nuts for coupling or fastening or securing the spokes to the wheel rim, and the couplers each also include a number of slots for forming a number of spring blades and for allowing the spring blades to be engaged through the spoke fastening holes in the wheel rim.
However, similarly, for allowing the spring blades of the couplers to engage through the spoke fastening holes in the wheel rim, the couplers should also include a relatively smaller outer diameter than an inner diameter of the spoke fastening hole in the wheel rim, such that the couplers may not be solidly secured to the wheel rim, or it will be difficult to form a water tight seal structure between the couplers and the wheel rim. In addition, the couplers include a cylindrical shape that may not be engaged with or rotated or driven by the driving tools.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2008/0048489 to Liu discloses a further typical vehicle wheel spoke coupling device or bicycle wheel rim assembling structure comprising a number of through holes disposed equidistantly at a concave surface on an external side of a rim, and a number of eyelets engaged into the through holes by a pressing machine for anchoring and coupling the spokes to the wheel rim.
However, a pressing machine is further required to be provided to engage with the eyelets and to press or force the eyelets into the through holes such that the spokes may not be easily and quickly or readily attached or coupled to the wheel rim by the users themselves.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional spoke fastening devices.